Circular-knitting machine.



E. PAQUETTB. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. a, 1910 I 999,85, Patented Aug. 8,1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. PAQUETTE.

v CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. b, 1910. 999 85 Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2 E. PAQUBTTE. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3 1910,

Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

E. PAQUETTE.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3, 1910. 999 85%, v Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

4 SHEETS-*SEEET Z7 Z6 Af UNITE srATns ra rmvr OFFICE.

EXILIAS PAQU'ETTE, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO LAWRENCE MANU-FACTURING COMPANY, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA-CHUSETTS.

CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EXILIAS PAQUETTE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCircular-Knitting Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

The invention relates to that class'of circular knitting machines inwhich the needles are mounted in a needle cylinder and are operated bycams and controlling devices carried by a cam cylinder which is rotatedand reciprocated to knit a tubular fabric provided at intervals withheel and toe pockets.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedconstruction and arrangement of cams and devices for operating theneedles, whereby the production of the machine is increased.

The invention is intended primarily as an improvement in the machineknown as the Acme machine, and illustrated in the patents to Mayo, No.-17 t,671, May 10, 1892, and No. 7-.t5,449, December 1, 1903, althoughit will be understood that the invention is not' limited in itsapplication to this machine,-and may be embodied in other constructionsand other forms of circular knitting machines for producing seamlesshosiery.

The invention consists in the features and combinations hereinafterdescribed and referred to in the claims, the advantages of which will beobvious to" those skilled in the art.

The various features of the invention will be readily understood from aninspection of the accompanying drawings, and the'following detaileddescription of the machine illustrated therein.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation showing so much of aknitting machine as is necessary toillustrate the application of thepresent invention thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the base platewith the cam cylinder and needle cylinder removed; Fig. 3 is a Viewshowing a development of the inside of the cam cylinder; Fig.4 is asimilar View showing'the outside of the cam cylinder Fig. 5 is a detailsectional view on line 55, Fig, 3; Fig. 6 is a detail view showing thecams for throwing the supplemental knitting cams into and out ofoperation on the'short butt needles; Fig. 7 is a plan view'of the camcylinder; and Fig. 8 is a detail view of one of the take-ups.

In the drawings the invention is illustrated as embodied in a machinehaving many of its parts constructed and arranged and operating insubstantially the same manner as the corresponding parts in the Acmemachine above referred to. The motion changing mechanism, the patternmechanism for controlling the operation of thevarious parts of themachine, the main knitting cams which operate the needles during theknit ting of the heel and toe, the elevating and depressing pickers foreffecting the narrowing and widening, and the cam which raises the longbutt or instep needles into the inactive series atthe beginning of thenarrowing and returns all the needles in the inactive series to thelower or active plane at the end of the widening, are the same inconstruction, and are operated and controlled in the same manner as inthe Acme machine. In addition to the knitting cams corresponding to theknitting cams of the Acme machine, which for convenience are termed thema1nkn1ttmg cams, I the machine illustrated in the drawings is alsoprovided with two additional sets of knitting cams which may forconvenience be termed supplemental knitting cams. The machine is alsoprovided with two additional .or supplemental thread guides throughwhich yarn is fed to the knitting waves formed in the needles by therespective sets of supplemental knitting cams, so that during eachrevolution of the cam cylinder three circular courses of loops areformed, with a corresponding' increase in the rapidity with which theleg or leg and foot of the stocking is knit. The supplemental knittingcams are thrown out of action at the beginning of the heel or toe. sothat the main knitting cams are the only active knitting cams during theknitting of the heel or toe, and are again thrown into action when themotion of the cam cylinder is changed from reciprocating to rotary.

v V The needles which are out of action during the knitting of the heeland toe, and which for convenience may be termed the instep needles, areprovided with the usual long butts, while the needles which areoperating during the knitting of the heel and toe are provided with theusual short butts. The needles are mounted in a needle cylinder 1, andare surrounded by a cam cylinder 2 to which either rotary orreciprocating movements are imparted through motion to the pickers ofthe Acme machine,

plate of the machine.

and are controlled in the same manner by the latches 10 and 11 and thecam posts 12 and 13. 'The cam cylinder is also provided with a cam 14which acts upon the long butt needles to raise them into the inactiveplane at the beginning of the heel and toe, and also acts to return allthe needles which are int-he inactive plane at the end of the wideninginto the lower or active plane. This. cam has the same construction asthe corresponding cam in the Acme machine, and is operatedin the samemanner through the slide 15 on the cam cylinder and the cam arms 16 and17 which are mounted on the base The movements of the cam posts 12 and13 which control the operation of the narrowing and widening pickersrespectively, and the movement of the cam arms 16 and 17 into and out ofac tive position, are controlled by a shifter ring 18 which isconstructed and operated in the same manner as the corresponding shifterring of the Acme machine.

In addition to the main knitting cams, the cam cylinder is provided withtwo additional sets of knitting cams which are arranged to operate uponall the needles during the rotation of the cam cylinder, and arerendered inactive upon the short butt needles during the reciprocationof the cam cylin der in knitting the heel or toe. For convenience thesetwo sets of supplemental knitting cams :will be referred to as the firstand second set respectively. The first set of supplemental knitting camsforms a knitting wave in the needles immediately following the knittingwave formed by the stitch cam 4, and comprises the stitch cam 19 fordrawing down the needles, the cam 20 for raising them to-normalposition, and the switch cam 21 for directing the needle butts down intothe path of the stitchcam. 19.

The second set of supplemental cams form a knitting wave following thewave formed by the first set, and comprise a stitch cam 22, elevatingcam 23, and switch cam 24. The supplemental knitting cams are arrangedbe- The main knitting cams,

tween the main knitting cams and the cam 14 which raises the long buttneedles into the inactive plane at the beginning of the heel and toe, sothat the long butt needles will be acted upon by both sets ofsupplemental cams after they have passed through the main knitting cams,and before they are raised into the inactive plane preparatory toknitting the heel or toe. to raise the long butt needles into theinactive plane during the last forward or rotary stroke of the camcylinder in going upon the heel or toe, and during this forwardrevolution of the cam cylinder the switch cams 21 and 24 are movedradially outward while they are acting upon the long butt needles intosuch position that they will not engage the short butt needles. Thisradial outward movement of the switch cams renders the two .sets ofsupplemental knitting cams inactive upon the short butt needles. Theoutward movement of the switch cams is not suflicient, however, to freethem from the long butt needles, so that they continue to engage thelong butt needles during this revolution of the cam cylinder.

The two supplemental yarns will therefore knit on The cam 14 acts thelong butt needlesduring the last forward revolution of the cam cylinder,and will knit last on the needle at the end of the series of long buttneedles. During the knitting of the heel or toe the supplemental yarnswill lead from this long butt needle, and will wrap idly about theneedles as the cam cylinder reciprocates. At the completion of the heelor toe the switch cams 21 and 24 are moved radially inward during thefirst revolution of the cam cylinder on rotary knitting, while they arepassing under the needles which are in the inactive series. Thesupplemental knitting cams therefore resume knitting upon the front endof the series of short butt needles, the supplemental yarns leading fromthe rear long butt needle to the short butt needle which is. at the endof the series of active needles.- The motion of-the cam cylinder ispreferably changed so that there will be one or. more short butt needlesin the inactive series when the supplemental cams resume knitting. Thiscauses the "supplemental yarns to lie across or be tucked on one or moreof the short butt needles, so that they fill or cover the hole whichmight otherwise appear at the end of the suture between the narrowed andwidened fabric. v I

The switch cams 21 and 24 are secured upon pins25 and 26 respectively,which are mounted to slide radially through the wall of the cam cylinderto shift the switch camswith two crank pins 31 and 32 arranged ondiametrically opposite sides of a rock shaft 33. The rock shaftisprovided with a segmental pinion 31 which is engaged by a gear segmentformed on one arm of a bell crank lever 36. The bell crank lever ispivoted on the cam cylinder. and the horizontal arm of the lever isprovided with a radially projecting-pin 37 adapted to engage. and beoperated by cams mounted on the base plate of the machine. The cam 38for raising the pin 37 and thus rocking the shaft 33 to move the stitchcams radially outward is formed on the free end of an arm 39 which ispivoted at 10 to the base plate of the machine. The arm39 is forcedforward toward the cam cylinder by a spring l1, and is held normally inposition with the cam 38 out of the path of the pin 37 by a lug -12 onthe shifter ring 18. The cam 13 for depressing the pin 37. and thusreturning the rock shaft 33 and switch cams :21 and 24 to normalposition. with the switch cams in the path of both the long and shortbutt needles. is formed on the free end of an arm 11 similar to the arm39 and also pivoted on the stud +0. This arm is also pressed forward bya spring against the-lug 12 on the shifter ring. hen the shifter ring isshifted. preparatory to knitting the heel or toe, the lug 12 forces thearm 14 back. to remove the cam 43 from the path of the pin 37, and alsoallows the arm 39 to move forward and bring the cam 38 into the path ofthe pin. This movement takes place after the pin 37 has passed the camarms 16 and 17. and before it reaches the cam 38. Now during theforwardrotation of the cam cylinder the pin 37 rides up the cam 38. thusrocking the shaft 33 and withdrawing the switch cams :21 and 2-1. Thecam is so located that the switch cams '21 and 21 are at this timeoperating upon the long butt needles. hen the motion of the cam cylinderis changed from reciprocatory to rotary after the completion of the heelor toe, the shifter-ring 18 is returned to normal position. and duringthis movement of the shifter ring the lug 12 moves the arm 39 back andwithdraws the cam 38 from the path of the pin 37. and also allows thearm 41 to move forward. thus bringing the cam 13 into the path of thepin. This movement takes place after the pin 37 has passed the cam arm16 and beforeit reaches the cam 43. Xow during the' forward rotarymovement of the cam cylinder.

the pin 37 rides down the cam 13. operating the rock shaft 33 to movethe switchcams 21 and 21 back into position to operate upon the butts ofall the needles. At this time the switch cams 21 and 21 are passingunder the long butt needles. which are still in the i11- active series.since they have not yet been acted upon by the cam 14 and returned tothe active plane.

The main yarn -15 which is fed to the knitting waves formed by the cams3 and 1 may lead from a bobbin held upon a stationary support. while theyarns +16 and 17 which are fed to the knitting waves formed by thesupplemental knitting cams are led from cops 4.8 and 19 mounted upon arotary support 50. The rotary support is arranged above the camcylinder, and is rotated and reciprocated in unison therewith. bysuitable gearing connected with the gearingfor driving the cam cylinder.The yarns 16 and 17 may be held taut as they are wrapped back and fortharound the needles during the knitting of the heel or toe. by springtake-ups 51 and which may be of any usual construction. During rotaryknitting the take-ups are held .in the position indicated inFig. 1 bythe tension on the yarns, and during the knitting of the heel or toethe. take-ups swing back and-forth from this position and the positionindicated in Fig. 8 as the yarns wrap aboutthe needles or unwrap fromthe needles.

The web holder or sinker cam ring is the same in construction as thesinker cam ring of the Acme machine, and is provided with two additionalor supplemental cams for forming waves in the web holding sinkerscorresponding to the waves formed in the needles by the supplementalstitch cams.

\Yhile it is preferred to employ the construction and arrangement ofparts shown and described in embodying the invention in a machine havingthe general construction and mode of operation of the Acme machine abovereferred to. it will be understood thatthis construction and arrangementis not essential, and may be varied and modified as best suited to theconstruction of machine in which itis to be embodied.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention, andspecifically described one form of mechanism in which it may beenlbodied, what I claim is v 1. A circular knitting machine, having.

in combination, a needle cylinder provided with long and short buttneedles. a rotary and reciprocatory cam cylinder provided with narrowingand widening devices, a needle elevating cam for raising the long buttneedles at the beginning of the heel or toe and two sets' ofsupplemental knitting cams, means for rotating the cam cylinder and forreciprocating it during the narrowing and widening to form the heel ortoe, and devices for rendering the supplemental knitting cams inactiveon the short butt needles while they are acting on the long butt needlesduring the last forward stroke of the cam cylinder before the narrowing,and active on all the needles while they are passing under the butts ofthe revolution of the cam cylinder at the comcylinder preceding thepletion of the heel or toe, substantially as described.

2. A circular knitting machine, having, in combination, a needlecylinder, a rotary and reciprocatory cam cylinder provided with mainknitting cams, narrowing and widening devices, devices for throwing theinstep needles out of operation at the beginning of the narrowing andwidening, two sets of supplemental knitting cams arranged to operateupon all the needles during the rotary motion of the cam cylinder, anddevices for causing said cams to operate only upon the instep needlesduring the last rotary stroke of the cam cylinder and to become inactiveduring the reciprocatory motion of the cam cylinder upon the needleswhich are in operation during the knitting of the heel or toe, and meansfor rotating the cam cylinder and for recipro' cating it during thenarrowing and widening to form the heel or toe, substantially asdescribed.

3. A circular knitting machine, having, in combination, a needlecylinder provided with long and short butt needles, a rotary andreciprocatory cam cylinder provided with main knitting cams narrowingand widening devices, a needle elevating cam for raising the long buttneedles at the begin ning of the heel or toe and two sets otsupplementalknitting cams arranged to follow the main knitting camsand to precedethe needle elevating cams, devices for throwing the supplementalknitting cams out of operation upon the short butt needles while theyare acting on the long butt needles during the last forward stroke ofthe cam narrowing, and into action upon all the needles while they arepassing under the butts of the needles in the inactive plane when themotion of the cam cylinder is changed from reciprocatory to rotary atthe completion of the heel or toe, and means for rotating the camcylinder and for reciprocating it during the narrowing and widening toform the heel or toe, substantially as described.

4. A circular knitting machine, having,

in combination, a needle cylinder provided and reciprocatory, camcylinder provided with main knitting cams, a needle elevating cam forrais ng the long butt needles into long and short butt eeasea theinactive series and two sets otsupplemental knitting cams, devices foroperating the needle elevating cam comprising cam arms 16 and 17,devices for throwing the supplemental knitting cams out of action on theshort butt needles and into action on all the needles comprising the camarms 39 and 44, and a shifter ring for rendering the cam arms active orinactive, substantially as. described.

5.,A circular knitting machine, having, in combination, a needlecylinder provided with long and short butt needles, a rotary andreciprocatory cam cylinder provided with main knitting cams, a needleelevating cam for raising the long butt needles into the inactiveseries, two sets of supplemental knitting cams comprising stitch andelevating cams and the switch cams 21 and 24, means for moving theswitch cams radially outward beyond the ends of the short butts andradially inward to engage both the long and short butts comprisingrelatively stationary cams and means for moving the cams into and out ofactive position, substantially as described.

6. A circular knitting machine, having, in combination, a needlecylinder provided with needles, a rotary and reciprocatory cam cylinderprovided with main knitting earns, a needle elevating cam for raisingthe long butt needles into the inactive series, two sets of supplementalknitting cams arranged to follow the main knitting cams and precede theneedle elevating cams comprising stitch and elevating cams and switchcams, relatively stationary cam arms 16 and 17 for operating the needleelevating cams, relatively stationary cam arms 39 and 44 for moving theswitchcams radially in and out, actuating devices for the switch camsmounted on the cam cylinder and projecting into position to engage thecam arms 39 and 44, and means for moving the cam armsalternately intoand out of the path of'the actuating devices after said devices havepassed the cam arms 16 and before they reach the cam arms 39 and 44, substantially as described.

nXiLIAs raonnr rn.

Witnesses EDWARD MARTIN, AUoUsTE JEAN.

